Family Destiny A Family Journal
by Cullen Cousin
Summary: Edward, with the help of the rest of the family, wants to put their family history down on paper for Renesmee.
1. Prologue and Chapter 1 Edward Anthony

A/N Howdy y'all....this is my first attempt at a FF. I know the first chapter is a bit light, but hopefully, they will get longer as it progresses. All reviews, comments and complaints graciously accepted.

Disclaimer: All twilight characters belong to Stephanie Meyers. I'm just glad she lets us play with time.

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Preface

To my dearest daughter Renesmee Carlie Cullen.

I feel that it is important for you to understand where you come from and those who love you so much. I have decided to start a family journal, with the family's help, you will be able to understand your destiny in life.

Renesmee, I can't really put into words, how much you mean to your family, your mother and me. But I will say this, we love you more than our own lives.

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Chapter 1 - Edward Anthony Masen

As the decades go by, human memories fade away. I hope that what few that I do remember will give you an insight to how I grew up before I was changed.

I was born Edward Anthony Masen, Jr. on June 20, 1901 in Chicago, IL, to Edward and Elizabeth Masen. My father, Edward Anthony Masen, Sr. was one of the most prominent and sought after lawyer in town, which made us one of the wealthier families in Chicago. My mother Elizabeth Masen was a wonderful woman who managed to keep a home, marriage and family. She was also the neighborhood piano teacher. I am not sure who I looked like the most. I had my mother's bronze-colored hair, vivid green eyes and my father's facial features. People were always quick to comment on how handsome of a boy I was.

We lived in a two-story bungalow in a Chicago suburb, close to my father's law office. It was just the three of us, my parents and I, my mother doted on me; I was her "Little Eddie". She instilled in me at an early age, the love of playing the piano and the appreciation of music. My father, when he didn't have to go to the office, loved to take me to the ballgame. One of the very few human memories I have left, is going with my father to Comiskey Park to watch "Shoeless Joe" Jackson play for the White Soxs. That, I believe, is why I love to play baseball with the family.

I also have a scattering of childhood memories of playing "stick ball" out in the middle of the street with a bunch of neighborhood kids, of having a pet dog, and of watching my mother play piano.

Unfortunately, memories I wish I could remember would be of my grandparents, This is where you are so much more fortunate Renesmee, that you will remember everything that has and will happen in your lifetime.

As I got older, I can slightly remember going to the theater with my parents to see the movie serial of "The Perils of Pauline", a "Gertie the Dinosaur" cartoon or some sort and a newsreel. That was big entertainment for a 13 year old in 1914.


	2. Chapter 2 War and Illness

Chapter 2 - War and Illness

It was August 1918 and World War 1 was in full swing. My mother was upset that the Draft Board had just lowered the drafting age to 18, it was only a couple of months earlier that I had just turned 17. A few of my friends had already received their draft notices. She could not understand why I wanted to go. Her aspirations for me were that I was to go to college and become a lawyer like my father. I did share that dream for awhile, but like most young men my age, we were excited about joining the Armed Forces and going off to fight for our country. We felt that it was our patriotic duty to go off to war.

At the same time, another war broke out on the home front, Spanish Influenza. Across the U.S., it was reaching pandemic proportions, much like the current H1N1 virus is trying to do now. But you must understand where as now they can develop vaccines and antibiotics to fight these viruses. Back then, there were no antibiotics, you could only hope and pray that your own body's immune system could fight it off. Many lives across the country were lost due to this strain of influenza. In Chicago alone, 8,500 lives were lost to Spanish Influenza.

September 1918, my parents and I were stricken with the influenza and we were hospitalized. My father was the first one in our small family to succumb to the bacterial infection caused by the influenza. The attending physician at the time seemed to have taken a personal interest in my mother and I. I faintly remember fading in and out of consciousness due to the fever. He always seemed to be hovering about us, placing his cold hands on our fevered brows. The physician's name was Dr. Carlisle Cullen.

That is right my sweet daughter Renesmee, it was your grandfather, Carlisle.

My mother must have known that we were not going to survive. How she knew, I cannot say; it must have been a mother's intuition. She could not bear the thought of her only son dying at such a young age. She begged him, pleaded, in her final hour, for him to save me. Mother must have known or figured out something about him to warrant that kind of reaction from her. Dr. Cullen agreed to do what he could, with that, my mother passed away in peace, knowing that I would be taken care of.


	3. Chapter 3 Transformation

Chapter 3 – Transformation

My intervals of unconsciousness were getting longer in duration. Around midnight, Dr. Cullen came back into the room that my mother and I shared so he could take her body to the morgue. When he returned to collect me, my breathing was labored and my heart was struggling to keep beating in my chest. He new my time was short and if he was going to save me as my mother had him promise, he needed to work fast.

The hospital staff was severely short handed, they would not think it odd for a doctor to push a body to the morgue.

Since I was barely breathing, Dr. Cullen pulled a sheet over my head and wheeled me to the morgue and out the back door of the hospital. Running at inhuman speed, with me in his arms, he ran through the dark streets and over the roof tops to his home, where he could make his promise good.

I remember being laid on a bed… Ice cold lips touching my neck…. Extremely sharp teeth tearing at my throat….

What happened next is hard to put into words…it is something I try not to remember. But I will try for you my dear child.

Burning…unbearable burning…. I felt as if I was burning from the inside out. Like my heart would burst forth due to the racing beat and searing heat of the venom burning away the blood in my veins.

I wasn't totally sure of what was happening to me.

Death would have been preferable than to this intense burning that was ravaging my body. I screamed and screamed for someone to kill me, to end this pain. It seemed that it went on for an eternity, but in actuality, it was only a couple of days. I could tell the end of my life was near. My extremities began to feel numb as the burning venom started to recede into my chest. My heart than beat rapidly, so rapidly that it started skipping beats. It beat once, twice then laid still in my chest. My heart had beaten its last.


	4. Chapter 4 A New Lease on Life

A/N: Sorry for the delay in getting out the next chapter, but y'all know how RL can get it the way. Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! All comments/complaints gladly accepted.

Disclaimer: A Twilight characters are property of Stephanie Meyer...I'm just happy that she lets us play with them.

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Chapter 4 – A New Lease on Life

As I lay there with my eyes closed, I kept waiting for one of God's angels to come and take me to heaven, at least that was what I was taught to believe. My mother used to tell me when I was small, that when you die, God sends his angels to escort you to heaven. If that was true, then why was I still here? I knew my heart had quit beating inside my chest. I felt no need to breathe, like it wasn't necessary, but I did it anyway, out of habit.

It seemed that I had lain there awake for hours, when I knew, it had only been a few seconds. My mind seemed to be able to think of many different things at once. Finally, I decided to open my eyes to get my bearings. I was in a small dark room, a bedroom from the look of things. As dark as the room was, I was amazed that I could make out the fine details of the wallpaper, the nicks and dings in the old wardrobe in the far dark corner. To my eyes, the room looked like it was bathed in light. But I knew it was not, for it was night outside the window and no lamps were lit in the room. Amazingly, I could hear the music and rowdy men in a tavern five blocks away. I could hear a young couple, talking in hushed voices, taking a stroll down below on the street. Not only could I see and hear things that I was not able to before, but I was assaulted by scents and they had a taste that was all their own. I could smell and taste the components of the lye soap that had been used to clean up or hide the smell of the blood that threatened to burn the back of my throat. A burning that needed to be quenched, soon. There again, I wondered what is happening to me? I felt as if my thought process had changed, it was like I could multitask several things at once. One part was trying to figure out what had happened to me, while another part of my brain was screaming for something to be done about the severe burning in my throat. I was somehow able to put that one on the back burner for a few minutes.

I heard it, not so much with my ears, but in my mind. The voice was clear as day, it sounded worried and relieved at the same time. It took on the tone of a man's voice, he was relieved that I survived, yet worried about if he had done the right thing. As I looked to see where the voice was coming from, I spotted a slight movement in a corner of the room near the bed. I am not sure what really happened next or how I did it, but I went from a prone position to standing in a crouch at the foot of the bed. All my senses when on alert for danger in just a fraction of a second. A deep harsh growl issued from my chest and came out of my lips that were curled up, exposing my razor-sharp teeth. My self-preservation kicked in and I was ready to defend myself.

I watched as a man stepped out from the shadows with his hands raised. Slowly and gracefully he moved, not taking his eyes off of me. He reached over and carefully lit the kerosene lamp on the bureau. Looking into the man's golden eyes, there was a welcoming glow to them, but also a touch of fear. I realized what I was hearing, was not his voice per se, but his thoughts. I was always good at reading people by their looks and actions, but this was an entirely new experience for me. I didn't know if he knew I could do this remarkable thing or maybe "talent" would be a better word. I knew I had seen that face before, but with my memories from the hospital and before then being very murky, it just took a few more seconds to realize that he was the doctor from the hospital. Slowly I relaxed my stance and stood up straight.

"Dr. Cullen?" Now that was different, I paused for a second as I took a step towards him "What is happening to me?" Those were first words out of my mouth, it sounded like me, but it had a musical quality to it. I thought for a moment that I was going through puberty again. The new voice was nice, don't get me wrong, it was just different than what I was used to. He didn't answer me right away as I could hear in his mind, all the things he wanted to tell me, but was unsure how to go about it, for fear that I would lose it, so to speak. Finally, after a few seconds, he told me straight out, that I was a vampire and to please call him Carlisle, since I no longer needed a doctor and the fact that we were now very much alike. He was right, this did not set well with me at all. How did he expect me to feel having my whole world turned upside down. It's bad enough to loose your parents within days of each other, but to find out that you are no longer human? This can really create havoc with one's psyche. Having read the old stories about vampires, there was no possible way I could be a vampire, because vampires did not exist. Right?

He asked me what I knew about vampires. I told him, from what I have read in stories, that they were strong, fast, burned to death in sunlight, warded off by crosses and garlic, could not see their reflections in mirrors, slept in coffins… I started to add killed by a stake through the heart, when I realized he was grinning at me. I wanted nothing more that to rip that grin off his face. As he realized I was getting upset, he wiped the smile from his face and put a hand on my shoulder in a fatherly way. He turned me towards the mirror hanging on the wall. Was that ever a shock to my system!

As I looked into the mirror, a different face looked back at me. My hair was still the color of bronze like my parents, but my face was more refined. I ran my long fingers down my face, following the angles of my cheekbones and jaw line, they were more defined than they used to be. My skin color had also changed it wasn't the fleshy pink color that I was used to, but now it was pale, pale as moonlight on a clear night. It wasn't just my face that was that color, it was my hands, arms, my whole body! But what really got to me, were my eyes. Gone were my emerald green eyes that I was used to seeing and in their place were two bright red eyes staring back at me. Honestly, it was very unnerving to see. I continued to stare at this stranger, for a better lack of a word, as the doctor moved to stand behind me, still with a hand on my shoulder.

Looking at both of our reflections, I started noticing the similarities of our pale pallor, the angular lines. We could almost be related. I could hear in his mind how glad he was that I had survived the transformation and hoped that I would accept my fate gracefully. Carlisle smiled at me then began to correct my interpretation of vampires.

"The vampires you have read about, are nothing like us. Vampires do exist, you and I are proof of that. Yes I am a vampire. Your mother figured out what I was and couldn't stand to see your life end at such a young age. She loved you so much, that she begged and pleaded for me to save you. She said she knew I had a way to do it. I was unwilling to do it at first, but your mother's pleading tugged at my heart. I could see in you that you were a good person, you had promise. Also, I had been alone so long, without company, I thought you would be perfect to fill that void. It had been something that I had wanted to do, but the time had never been right; until now. So I promised your mother that I would do what I could, to my best ability. An hour later, she was gone. I brought you here, to my home, late that night. The only way I knew how to set the transformation in motion was to create the same injuries I had. I am so sorry about the pain I caused, but it was the only way I knew how to do it. "

As I listened to him, I could understand him making that kind of promise to my mother. When she wanted something she usually got her way. She was a very strong willed woman. As I continued looking at myself in the mirror, I could feel the burning in the back of my throat start to come back in full force. I continued to listen to Carlisle, while trying to push the burning pain back further in my mind.

"Most of the things you hear or read about vampires, are made up by humans to scare or make someone think that they can defeat a vampire. Garlic and crosses repelling us, sleeping in coffins, stakes and bullets to kill us, are all myths. Vampires are very strong, especially a newborn like you. We move fast and silently, unless we are in situations where we need to act human as to not attract too much attention to ourselves. We do not burn in the sun. Instead, our skin turns into a substance that is as hard as stone, cold as marble and in the sunlight, we are reflective as if we were covered in diamonds. That is the reason why we avoid bright sunlight. We do not require sleep, so that leaves the coffin theory out. Stakes through the heart or a silver bullet has no effect. The only way we can be destroyed is to be ripped and torn into pieces, then burned by fire. The venom that runs through our veins is as flammable as kerosene. Our teeth are sharp enough to bite through the toughest of skin, sinew and muscle. By nature, we are designed as killers." Carlisle managed to convey all this information just within a minute or two. Which I found out was another trait of the vampires, low, fast-talking, which comes in handy around humans due to their inferior hearing.

Carlisle could tell by the look on my face that something was bothering me. He only had to ask one question to confirm it. "Edward, are you thirsty?"


	5. Chapter 5 The Diet

A/N: Sorry it took so long to get this chapter out, but it was being very stubborn about coming out right. But I finally made it see it my way! Also, if you wonder why the chapters are different sizes, that is easy to explain. When I write in my own personal journal some days I can fill up two to three pages, other times only a half a page. So I am trying to make this journal more realistic as if Edward actually was writing it.

Disclaimer: SM owns the characters, I am just glad she lets us play with them, as long as we put them back when we are done!

Chapter 5 – The Diet

"Edward, are you thirsty?" That was the question Carlisle had just asked me. Before I could even answer, my throat felt like it was on fire. I needed to quench it and I needed to do it now! I tried to answer as calmly and politely as I could, but a low growl escaped through my lips. Looking abashed, I gave him a crooked grin in apology. He just clapped me on the shoulder and smiled back. I could hear his thoughts, he knew that the growl was unintentional. It was the thirst talking.

My thoughts were all over the place. Part of me was still confused as to what happened to me, even though Carlisle had explained it. The next part of me was angry with the doctor for doing this to me, for turning me into a monster. In a different part of my brain, I was sort of excited about this new life, and what it would entail for me. But the main problem right now, was my yearning to satisfy that burning, searing thirst. I know what vampires _eat,_ or perhaps I should say _drink_. I comprehend that it is what I am craving, it is instinctive, and it is what's causing the burning thirst and therefore only way for it to be sated.

In one simple word… _BLOOD_. Just the thought of it, the thought of drinking blood, _of drinking HUMAN blood_ sounded repulsive to me, but it is what I wanted, craved. I needed blood more than anything else, at this point. I knew that in order to get what I wanted I was going to have to kill someone to get it. I believe that it was the though of killing someone just for their blood, was what repulsed me more than the thought of drinking blood. But I knew, deep down, it was a necessary evil if I wanted to satisfy the burning in my throat. Not to mention in order to survive. All of these thoughts were wreaking havoc inside my head. I did not like where this conversation was going to go, as I read his thoughts. I found myself backing away from him, as if putting distance between us would change the outcome. I wanted to get out of there, I didn't want to hear anything else he had to say, verbally or his thoughts. But I couldn't leave, his golden eyes stared in to my bright red ones locking me into his gaze. Not to mention, he was between the door and me. Now my apprehension started to kick in.

He could see that I was on the verge of losing it. He took a step closer, backing me into a corner, until I was trapped. As I stared back into those captivating eyes, I could see compassion swimming in their depths. His mind was filled with nothing but compassion and love for me. The compassion and love I felt would rival that of what a father would have for a son.

"Now;" Carlisle began to explain, "I have given you a lot of information tonight. I know it must be overwhelming for you, but we still need to discuss the one thing that I have not covered yet, our diet."

"Our diet." I repeated quietly back to him, but you could hear the apprehensiveness in my voice. "You are not going to say what I think you are… I hope?" Even as I said this, I could hear and smell the humans walking on the street below, causing to lick my dry lips and it was making my throat burn even more. My instincts kept trying to tell me, all I had to do was to get down to that street and my burning problem would be solved. But with standing right in front of me, I had to try to figure out how to get around him. He must have sensed my nervousness as he placed his hand on my shoulder. Unfortunately, it had the opposite affect of what he was trying to convey. Instead of making me feel calm, it made me feel more like he knew I wanted to escape and was trying to hold me there.

"Yes Edward," Carlisle replied in a soft voice, "In order to survive, our diet consists of only drinking blood."

"Blood…you mean human blood." It was a statement not a question.

"Well, normally I would say yes," answered Carlisle, "But I made a discovered 255 years ago when I was changed. I found out, that I could survive on the blood of animals."

"Animals?" Now if that didn't sound more repulsive than human blood, then I didn't know what did. I just knew I had to ask him, "But if we're supposed to drink human blood, why would you drink the blood of animals?"

With a sad look in his golden eyes, Carlisle said, "I felt the same way about killing humans. Being the son of preacher, I just couldn't bring myself to do that. I wouldn't be able to live with myself. " Carlisle turned away from me and took a couple of steps as he continued speaking. "But that is a story for another time."

"I…I don't know Carlisle, animal blood? You mean like cats and dogs?" I asked tentatively.

"No," he grinned and shook his head, "Much bigger than that. I am talking about wild animals such as deer and bear, not domestic animals. People would notice that their pets have gone missing." He gave a small laugh, "Besides, you wouldn't like the taste of dog and I don't think that the farmers and ranchers would appreciate their livestock being rustled."

The good doctor could tell that my thirst was getting worse by an involuntary growl coming from the back of my throat. All this talk of blood was not doing anything for my thirst as I reached up to rub my throat in an attempt to try and relieve some of the burning to no avail.

As Carlisle walked to the door he looked at me straight in the eyes and said "If your ready, I believe we need to go hunt your first meal."

A/N: All comments and complaints graciously accepted…please be kind and click the green box below!……CC


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